Named was founded in
2013, when our first collection First Named was launched on 1st of August. The
story of Named however started almost a year earlier when we first came up with
the idea of having our own pattern label. In the beginning, the whole thing
started as a whim, but pretty soon it started to feel like a legit career
choice! We have both always been very passionate about sewing and DIY, so
starting an own pattern label felt like a very natural move.

Your collections are always composed of multiple sewing
patterns, how long do you work on one collection?

From first sketches to a
finished range of patterns, one collection takes approximately 6 months to
happen. Of course the first ideas about a certain collection or the theme
around a collection can come a lot earlier than that.

You two are sisters, are you always on one mind while working
on a collection or do you have differences of opinion? What is your individual
distribution of tasks during work?

We are surprisingly
unanimous on our style and preferences! That is probably why everything works
so well with us. Of course there are some minor disagreements once in a while,
but nothing we can’t solve. We have a very clear distribution of tasks: Saara
works with all that’s related to pattern making, Laura takes care of the
instructions, customer service and social media. All design work is done
together, and of course there’s a lot of other stuff related to being an
entrepreneur that requires taking care of.

All around! We love to
keep our eyes open wherever we go, exploring everything we see - the nature,
buildings, people, clothes. We always design each collection around a certain
theme, which is very inspiring! Like the latest collection Playground, that was inspired by childhood and childrenswear.

What is the main aspect/criterion for a pattern: function,
material, look, design – or a mixture of that?

It’s definitely a mixture
of all of these. We love garments that are comfortable, so that’s usually
something that we bear in mind when we design new patterns. They should also be
easy to wear and to combine with other garments. We also love to try out new
techniques and explore with interesting cuts! And in the end, we would like to
create designs that last a long time, and that don’t just follow the latest
trends.

Mostly because it’s more
fun that way! It’s definitely more fun and inspiring to design small capsule
wardrobes instead of just single garments. It allows us to re-invent our brand
every season.

What would be an advice for young designers that want to make
their own sewing patterns?

We would advice
just to go for it! It’s definitely a lot of work to run a business of your own,
but it’s also very rewarding, especially in this field. Sewing and DIY people
are awesome, so we are very happy to get to work with such a lovely bunch of
people!